The Queen and the Archer
by Upsgirl88
Summary: This will be a collection of random Caryl scenes/oneshots/snippets based on prompts from readers. Reply or PM me one or two word prompts to me and I will work through them :)
1. Chapter 1

_AN: Gonna try something new here. I have so many ideas that run around in my mind but just not enough time to make them all into multichap fics or even a well rounded one shot. So I thought I would do a collection of drabbles/Scenes/snippets based on one or two word prompts from you guys. I had the first one given to me tonight so I'll start here. If you have a prompt you want to leave me you can send me a PM or leave it in the comments and I'll work through them. Each one will just be added here as a new chapter. Thanks for reading :)_

 **Bake Cookies**

"Uh, Daryl? Whatcha doing?" Morgan stood in the doorway of the kitchen in the house they were both staying in at the Kingdom.

"What does it look like?" Daryl grumbled in response. "I'm baking fucking cookies. Or trying to…" he added, feeling completely exasperated. "How did she do it?" he wondered out loud. "We ain't got half the ingredients on this list…" he gestured at the cook book he'd found in the library.

Morgan moved closer and Daryl didn't miss the look of amusement on his face. He peeked in the bowl where Daryl had added the ingredients they actually had. "Ohhh, that's not gonna work," he announced, wrinkling his nose at the bowl of slop.

"Thanks Captain obvious," Daryl drawled sarcastically. "I didn't have enough flour," he sighed.

"What if we add some oatmeal?" Morgan offered. "Make 'em Oatmeal chocolate chip instead."

Daryl shrugged and went to the cupboard. "Worth a shot," he grunted, starting to shake some in the bowl.

"Uh, you might wanna… measure that…" Morgan muttered, a little too late.

"She never measured," Daryl snapped. "She just put stuff in and mixed it all up and they turned out perfect every time." He thought back to the last time he watched Carol bake cookies. Maybe she had measured some things… But he was sure there was a lot of stuff she just tossed in there.

"She's probably baked cookies a few more times than you have," Morgan replied as Daryl stirred the mixture. "But hey, that looks much better."

Daryl felt better for a moment. "Fuck," he hissed. "What if I do all this and they taste like shit?" His heart sank. "This was a stupid idea."

"What's really going on?" Morgan asked.

Daryl was quiet for a moment as he started to scoop the dough onto the cookie sheet. "She looked so sad," he said softly, picturing the tears in Carol's eyes when he'd left her at the house alone and came back to the kingdom. He didn't want to leave her but she insisted and he knew there was no point in arguing with her. Besides, he didn't want to make things even worse for her than they already were. "I just thought maybe… some cookies might make her smile." He felt his nose sting as the tears threatened and he quickly turned to put the cookies in the oven so Morgan wouldn't see his face.

"You going to see her again today?" Morgan asked gently.

"Ya think she'll be mad?" Daryl asked, still looking away. "It's only been a few days, but… I just… miss her." He took a deep breath and turned around. "I know she wants to be alone right now - but it's so hard knowing where she is and staying away."

"I know the feeling," Morgan said with a nod. "But… something tells me she might be happy to see you again." The way Morgan said 'You' implied that anyone else wouldn't be as welcome. Daryl didn't realize how badly he needed the encouragement and reassurance until Morgan gave it to him. "I'm going with ya though," Morgan added. Before Daryl could protest he continued, "I ain't going in. I'll wait at the front gate and keep an eye out. But Ezekiel ain't gonna let you go out there alone. You know that."

Daryl was living at the Kingdom to hopefully avoid detection by Negan and the Saviors. "Well I ain't fucking going if these damn cookies don't turn out," he snarled, taking a peek through the window of the over. "And it ain't looking good," he grumbled when he saw the cookie sheet. Morgan came over to look and saw the cookies had all spread out so the entire sheet looked like one big cookie. "Fuck," Daryl hissed, slamming a fist on the counter.

"Relax," Morgan said calmly. "They might be fine. We can cut them in squares." Daryl paced until the timer went off and then pulled out the cookie sheet. They looked done - well - _it -_ looked done. He was staring at one giant oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. It actually smelled pretty good too. He grabbed a knife and cut a chunk. Then cursed when he burned his hand picking it up. But he had to know if it was edible. "You should probably let that…" Morgan started as Daryl took a bite.

It was hot and it burned his mouth but… it tasted good. Really good. "Fuck. It's… it's good," he said in shock. "Here… take a bite," he said shoving the cookie he'd just bit off of towards Morgan. Suddenly he was happy and excited. He wanted to pack up immediately and make his way to Carol. If they walked fast the cookied would still be warm when they got there.

"Oh wow… they are good," Morgan said, grinning. "She's gonna love these."

Daryl couldn't help but smile. He'd done it - somehow. But what if they got there and Carol was mad? He could just give her the cookies and leave real quick. All he wanted was a smile though - that's it. He just wanted to see a smile on her lips that reached all the way to her beautiful blue eyes. It had been far too long since he'd seen that. Maybe it was too much to hope for. Maybe she still needed more time. But he had to try.

"You ready to go?" he asked Morgan. Morgan gave him a strange look, but shrugged and nodded. Daryl found a container, cut the entire tray into little squares, as best he could, and piled them in, ignoring the stinging of his fingertips as he shoved them off the spatula.

They let Ezekiel know where they were going and were met with a look of disapproval, though he didn't try to stop them. Daryl felt more nervous the closer they got to the house. By the time they made it to the gate he was almost ready to change his mind. "Maybe we should just go back," he said to Morgan.

"Go in and give her the cookies," Morgan insisted. "Trust me. She won't be mad - at you." There it was - that some tone when he said "you."

Daryl took a deep breath and marched up to the door. He knocked and within seconds she pulled open the door. "Daryl?" she said surprised. She didn't sound mad. She didn't look mad - not yet anyway.

"I made you cookies," he blurted out, shoving the container at her. "I thought I fucked em up but Morgan told me to add oatmeal, and then they all smooshed together so I had to cut them up, but they taste good, I swear." Daryl blushed and ducked his head.

"You made me cookies? You baked? For me?" Carol replied. When he finally risked looking at her he saw there were tears in her eyes. "Why?"

"Don't cry," Daryl said quickly. "Oh God, please don't cry… I wanted to make you smile… fuck… Shit… I'm sorry."

"Oh you big dumbass," Carol sighed, grabbing his wrist with her free hand to pull him inside. "I'm not sad, I'm touched. This is the sweetest thing…" her voice trailed off and a tear ran down her cheek.

"Don't cry," he said again, reaching out to brush the tear away. Carol pressed her cheek into his hand, her eyes were closed… and then finally… she smiled. Daryl's heart skipped a beat and then he was sure it stopped completely when she opened her eyes. They were glistening with tears, but the smile had reached them. He did it. Within seconds he was smiling back at her. "I'll go now," he said softly, not wanting to overstay his welcome. He wanted to be able to come back once in awhile and he didn't want to risk ruining it.

"Not so fast," Carol said. "Not until you sit and have a cookie with me." Daryl couldn't wipe the smile off his face as he followed her to the kitchen table. They sat and chatted a bit while they ate cookies. Daryl had no idea how long he'd stayed, but they both ate 3 cookies and there were still plenty left for her for later. "Thank you," Carol whispered, after a moment of silence. She stood and Daryl knew it was his cue to leave.

He nodded and started for the door, but something made him stop and turn back to her. The last time he left her they shared a long, tender hug and he couldn't leave again without another one. She knew - like she always did - and Carol opened her arms to him. Daryl stepped into her embrace and pulled her tightly against his chest. Her cheek was resting on his heart and he knew she could feel it pounding. "This was a good day," she whispered. He looked down and saw that once again she was smiling. Reluctantly he released her, but he committed the look on her face to memory. This was his Carol - finally he knew she was still in there - and one day soon she would be back to her old self. "Bye," she said very softly. It felt good to know she wasn't eager for him to leave, even though they both knew he had to.

"Bye," Daryl replied, heading out the front door without looking back because he knew it would only make it harder to keep walking. "Let's go," Daryl said, rushing past Morgan, heading back towards the Kingdom. "I gotta look through that book and see what I can make her for the next time." He heard Morgan chuckle from somewhere behind him. It was a good day. A really, really good day.


	2. Chapter 2

_AN: Still looking for more prompts! If you have one feel free to reply or to PM me with it. Hope you enjoy this one - it's sappy :)_

 **Prompt: Meeting Shiva**

"This is a fucking stupid idea," Daryl grumbled in Rick's direction. "Why can't I just go back to Alexandria and hide?"

"Daryl," Rick sighed. "It's too dangerous. Negan is gonna be looking for you and where's the first place he's gonna check?" Rick gave him a look and Daryl muttered cuss words under his breath. "You were there when they showed up…" Rick's face changed to a look Daryl wasn't used to seeing - there was embarrassment and fear in his eyes. "You know… it was bad…"

After Negan had violently killed Glenn that night Daryl couldn't help but pounce at him. Instead of killing him too Negan had taken him prisoner. When Negan went to collect the goods from Alexandria he'd brought Daryl along, paraded him around in prison clothes and cuffs. The memory wasn't pleasant. Nothing about his time under Negan's rule was pleasant. Truth was - Daryl was pretty fucked up. But he was finally free - for the time being. They all knew Negan would be looking for him.

Daryl also knew he was putting his family in danger by being around them. Hilltop and Alexandria were no longer safe havens. They were watched by Negan's men a lot of the time so they could report back to Negan when supplies were brought in. But there was another place - it was called The Kingdom. The ruler, Ezekiel, had the longest relationship with Negan. It was the same deal as the others, but Negan didn't visit the Kingdom - the Knights would take stuff to the Sanctuary instead. Negan trusted that Zeke wasn't cheating him and so far things had always run smoothly.

"Jesus already talked to Ezekiel," Rick said. "He agreed to keep you there until we can figure something out."

"How'd that happen anyway?" Daryl grunted. Ezekiel hiding him out was dangerous. If Negan found out… it wouldn't be good for the Kingdom or their leader.

Rick gave him a sideways smile. "I'm not exactly sure… but I think maybe King Zeke has a soft spot for Jesus."

"Nah… really?" Daryl replied. He knew Jesus was gay, but for some reason it surprised him that Ezekiel was as well.

"Why do you think Jesus visits the Kingdom so often, hmm?" Rick asked.

Daryl shrugged. He really didn't know much about Jesus visiting the Kingdom… or anything else that had happened while he was captured. But one thing he did know was that Carol was gone and Rick wouldn't tell him anything more than the fact that Morgan had went looking for her. Daryl agreed to lay low for a while, but he wasn't going to last long before the need to go find her took over and he ran.

When Daryl was quiet for a while Rick spoke again. "He's got a pet Tiger ya know, Ezekiel does. Shiva I think it's called."

"The fuck's he doing with a wild animal?" Daryl mumbled. "Maybe we'll all get lucky and it'll eat Negan someday."

"You gotta admit it's pretty cool," Rick added, looking at him with a smile.

Daryl couldn't resist smiling back. The little boy inside him really was curious to see the tiger. And yeah, it was pretty fucking cool. Maybe this Kingdom place wouldn't be so bad after all. "Yeah, 'suppose," he replied, trying not to let on that he was as intrigued as Rick was.

When they finally made it to the front gates of the Kingdom there were knights waiting to let them in and Ezekiel was waiting just inside… with the pet tiger. Daryl stopped and stared. The tiger was big and beautiful, perched beside her master on high alert with strangers at the gate.

"Welcome to the Kingdom," Ezekiel said. "I'm King Ezekiel and this… this is Shiva," he introduced the giant cat.

Daryl's eyes shifted just slightly from the beast and something caught his attention. Eyes wide and heart pounding wildly out of control he took two steps forward towards the tiger. "Daryl, Daryl," Rick hissed. "I don't think that's a good idea…"

"He may approach," Daryl heard Ezekiel say as he continued to move forward, not really giving a fuck what either of them had to say. He just kept walking until he was right in front of the tiger, but Shiva was in his peripheral vision, because Daryl was looking at something else. He took a sidestep to move around the beast, feeling her sniff tickle his hand on the way by.

"Daryl?" he heard Rick speak. "Daryl? What are you…. Oh…my… god…" Rick's voice changed and Daryl knew Rick had finally seen what he was looking at. No more than 15 feet away was the most incredible thing he'd ever seen. He blinked several times, but she was still there. Unmoving. Staring back at him. There was another figure near her… Morgan… but Daryl didn't give a fuck about anything but her.

Finally she took a step towards him and Daryl saw she was limping. "Carol?" he whispered, needing to hear himself say her name. Then he ran, right to her, coming to a stop before he slammed into her body. Was she in pain? What had happened? He wanted to hug her and hold her and never let her go… but he didn't know if she was sore and he didn't want to hurt her.

She knew. She always knew. "It's okay, just be gentle," she whispered, her blue eyes pooled with tears. That was all he needed to step into her open arms and pull her tiny frame gently against his chest. It felt better than anything he'd ever felt in his life just to hold her. With everything he'd been through all he wanted was to go home to his security blanket, to her… because she made everything better just by being in his life. But when he did escape and she was gone… Daryl wondered if he would ever feel good again?

But right then, in her arms - he knew he had the chance of a future once again. There was so much to get through. They needed to talk - badly. Daryl hadn't told anyone what Negan and his men had done to him - but he would tell her - he wanted to tell her. And he needed to know why she'd left and who had hurt her… who he would want to kill with his bare hands. Most importantly though, he needed to know that they were okay, that their relationship was solid like it always had been. At the end of the day that's all that really matter because anything else they could get through now that they were finally together again.

Without any idea why she'd left Daryl couldn't help but be selfish for a moment. "Please don't ever leave me again," he begged into her ear.

"I won't, I promise," Carol replied, continuing to hold him tightly. He inhaled her scent and refused to let go of her, even knowing there was a huge group of people watching. The urge to kiss her almost buckled his knees. He'd never felt that before… well, perhaps a time or two if he was being honest with himself, but never so plainly and so strongly. It wasn't the right time though. He knew that for sure. But for the first time since he'd known her Daryl also knew that it would happen sometime soon. She didn't have to say it. He didn't have to say it. They both knew, tucked in each other's embrace that they were in love.

He touched her hair, her beautiful silky hair and for the first time in many, many weeks he smiled - a real genuine smile that reached his eyes and came directly from his heart. Nope, Daryl decided, this Kingdom place wasn't going to be that bad after all.


	3. Chapter 3

_AN: I have a few prompts to work through now - thank you so much to those who have sent them to me! I hope I can do them justice :) Here's the next one for you. The reader who submitted it wanted a story about Caryl's first fight as a couple. For the purpose of this fic we shall assume that shortly after the Same Boat - when Carol admitted she wasn't okay that her and Daryl finally admitted their feelings for each other._

 **Prompt - "First Fight"**

"Get out." The iciness in her voice sent chills down his spine and Daryl reeled backwards as if he'd been physically shoved.

"Wh...what… why?" he stammered. "I don't unders…"

"You don't understand? You don't _understand?_ " she hissed. "You left Daryl. You left. And now… I just can't. I can't do this with you… leave," she demanded again.

"No," he said defiantly. He didn't often stand up to her like that, but once in awhile he had to. He wasn't leaving. There was no way. He'd just got her and he wasn't about to lose her.

"You really don't get it, do you?" she muttered. There were tears in her eyes but Daryl wasn't sure if they were tears of sadness or anger - maybe both. "5 days ago you told me you loved me. 5 days ago you kissed me for the first time. Just 2 days ago we made love." He watched a tear trickle down her cheek. "I stayed. I was ready to leave. I was gonna walk away from everyone… but it was you…" Her voice cracked and Daryl knew he was going to cry too. "I stayed for you."

"Carol…" he whispered, unable to talk any louder. The lump in his throat was barely allowing him to speak.

"I stayed… and you left," she continued.

"I had to try to find him," Daryl growled. "Denise is dead and it's my fault. I had to try…"

"No… you didn't," Carol said, shaking her head. "Not like that. Not that way." Daryl hadn't been thinking about anything but the many ways he was going to kill Dwight when he took off on his bike that morning. He was so consumed with guilt from everything that had happened in the previous 24 hours. He hadn't thought about Carol or Rick or anyone but himself and his need to exact revenge. "You knew…" she whispered. "You knew why I wanted to leave." The hurt in her voice was like a knife to his heart. "I can't stand to see anyone else I love die. And when you go out there… when you take off alone like that… that's what happens - you die."

"But I didn't," Daryl protested. "I'm right here. I'm back."

"You got lucky this time," Carol said sadly. "But what about next time? Huh? What's gonna happen the next time you take off like a crazy person?" Daryl hung his head and let her words sink in. He was a loose canon. He always had been. He let his emotions drive him without thought, without using his brain or weighing the options. It's the way he'd always been because he'd never had anyone important enough to make him want to be any different. "Go Daryl. I need to pack."

His head snapped up. "No. You can't leave. You can't…"

"You did," she replied with a shrug.

"But I came back," Daryl snapped. "I wasn't leaving for good. I just wanted to find him… Kill him like I should have…"

"Daryl… please… just go," Carol sighed. "You just confirmed exactly why I need to be alone. If anything happened to you… I just can't," she stammered, voice teeming with emotion. "And I can't protect you, I see that now… I can't even protect you from yourself."

Daryl felt like his world was crashing down on top of him. He was suffocating. His throat was closing in and his heart was pounding like a hammer in his chest. Hot. It was so hot. He started to gasp for air. She was going to leave. The room started to spin and he stumbled. She was leaving him. His lungs were burning and he felt dizzy - so dizzy. He loved her and she was going to leave… and it was his fault. He had everything he wanted and in a matter of hours he'd ruined it all. He couldn't see her face anymore. He couldn't see anything… darkness was creeping in. What is happening? He wondered, as he struggled again to breath. So hot. No air. She's leaving… Blackness.

"Hey… hey… breathe…" A voice said, somewhere in the distance. "Daryl… hey, there you are…" As his eyes adjusted and he started to realize his surrounding Daryl discovered he was lying on the floor with his head in Carol's lap. "You had a panic attack," she informed him, while gently stroking his hair in a soothing manner.

"Oh…" was all that he could think of to say. He'd never had an anxiety attack before that he knew of. If he wasn't so happy to be laying in her lap with Carol stroking his hair Daryl would have been incredibly embarrassed. But instead of the cold icy stare he'd seen last… now her face was soft and full of concern. There was no doubt that she loved him - Daryl knew that. But could he find a way to make her stay?

Daryl let her stroke his hair a little longer before he finally spoke. "I'll follow you. I can track you. You go, I go." Carol sighed and looked down at him. She moved the hair off his forehead. "I ain't kidding. I won't lose you again."

"Don't underestimate me Daryl. If I really don't want to be found, you won't find me," she said matter of factly. He believed her. He knew she could do anything she set her mind to.

He played his trump card, "Then I'll die trying."

Carol shook her head. "What are we doing Daryl?"

"I love you," he said. If the first trump card didn't work already, the second one had to seal the deal, right? Nope, wait… there was one more thing he needed to say. "And… I'm sorry."

"I love you too and I know you're sorry… but… it's gonna happen again. And again. And again… until the time you finally don't come back." The tears had made their way to her eyes again.

"You know why I came back?" he asked gently. "Why I didn't stay out there longer?" Carol shook her head. The fight had started before he had a chance to explain anything.

"I figured you found him and killed him - mission complete," she shrugged.

"I didn't find him," Daryl said, sitting up. He was a bit woozy at first, but his vision quickly returned to normal. "I remembered something when I was out there in the woods, from the time I was out there before… when I let him go." He looked into her eyes. "It seems so crazy… But I swear it's true…" Carol was staring back at him, waiting for him to tell her what he was thinking about. "There was a walker… covered in moss…" Her expression changed to one of confusion. "In the moss there was a flower growing… it was… it was a cherokee rose." Carol's face changed again. The flower held a special meaning for the two of them and it was evident in her eyes. "I didn't even know they grew this far north," he continued. "Anyway, when I remembered seeing that I decided Dwight wasn't worth it. I came back. I came back for you. And I promise you - if you give me one more chance… it ain't gonna happen again."

"I want to believe you…" She sounded so conflicted.

"I'm an asshole. I did something really stupid. I ain't gonna pretend that I'll never do stupid things - I will and we will probably fight… But I do swear I'll never run off like that again. Believe me. Please?" Daryl pleaded with his eyes. "I ain't good at this thing… this couple thing… But I'll learn. You can teach me."

After a moment of silence Carol smiled and he was flooded with relief, so deeply it stung his eyes. "You might be better than you think," she whispered, reaching out to touch his face. Daryl turned his head and kissed her palm. "We survived," she said. "Our first fight."

"We did," Daryl chuckled. It was so good to see her smile when only a few minutes earlier he thought he might never see her beautiful face again. "C'mere," he drawled, pulling her into his arms. He held her tight for a long time and as they parted slowly he found her lips. They had kissed a lot in the few days they'd been together as a couple but this time it was different. It wasn't just physically pleasurable, but it was emotionally soothing as well. Kissing her made him feel calm and comfortable.

"Can you try to give me a few weeks before you do something stupid again?" Carol asked when they parted.

"Uh… yeah… about that…" he gave her a sheepish look.

She groaned, "What did you do?"

"I uh…. Might have punched Tobin in the face…" He cringed, knowing she was going to be mad again.

"You what? Why?" Carol gasped.

Daryl took a deep breath. "When I got back I was walking here to find you and he stopped me and asked how you were… We kinda got into it and I blew up," he admitted. Carol knew how angry he was that Tobin couldn't see how messed up she was when he allowed things to progress between them. Daryl felt like he'd taken advantage of Carol's mental state and even though she swore Tobin hadn't done anything wrong Daryl refused to believe it. Maybe it was his territorial side. Maybe it was pure and simple jealousy. Maybe it was too much testosterone… but it sure had felt good. "I'll go apologize," Daryl added.

"Yes, you will," she stated matter of factly. "But not right now," she added, standing up and offering him a hand. "You know what the best thing is about fighting?" Carol asked, giving him her best flirty look. "Make up sex."

Daryl groaned as she led him to bed. "I think maybe we oughta fight more often," he said, before her lips found his once again and they were lost in each other.


	4. Chapter 4

**Prompt: First Kiss.**

 _AN: I have done a lot of first kisses over the years but very few happen in the early seasons. So I'm going back to the beginning for this prompt. End of season One… let's visit the CDC._

Carol had only had a little bit of wine with supper, but it had been a long time since she'd had any alcohol so she was actually feeling a slight buzz. After she got Sophia to sleep she decided a shower might help relax her enough to sleep herself. She'd already had one earlier, they all had, but a quick little refresher while everyone else was sleeping wouldn't hurt.

The cool water felt good, the same as the steaming hot shower had felt good earlier. She didn't want to get out, but Carol didn't know how long the water supply would last with all of them using it so she kept the shower short. She reached an arm out and grabbed the towel that was hanging just outside the stall. Once she was wrapped in it Carol pulled back the curtains and stepped outside to get dressed.

"Oh my God," she gasped, realizing she wasn't alone. "Daryl? What are you doing?"

His back was to her and he was positioned in front of the urinal. "What does it look like?" he grumbled. "I'm taking a piss."

"But… but I locked the door…" Carol mumbled, second guessing whether she really did or not.

"Yeah, I picked the lock," he said, shaking and then zipping before finally turning around. He headed straight for the sink where she saw the bottle of Southern Comfort he'd claimed sitting on the counter. Carol watched him weave slightly on his way and realized he was most definitely drunk.

She silently watched him wash his hands before he finally caught her eye in the mirror. Daryl turned and quickly glanced around the room. "Fuck, your kid ain't in here is she?"

"Her name is Sophia," Carol said, crossing her arms to make sure her towel stayed put. "And no, she's not here… she's sleeping."

"Hmm. So it's just us…" he said as his eyes wandered up and down her body.

Carol shivered. But it wasn't because she was creeped out by this unfamiliar drunk man ogling her body… no, the shiver was because she liked the way he was looking at her. She could tell by the look on his face that he liked what he saw… It had been a long time since a man looked at her that way. "I should… uh… I should go…" she stammered, though she didn't move.

Daryl picked up the bottle. "Why don't ya have a drink with me first?" He took a swig and then wandered over to her and held it out. When she didn't reach for it right away he prodded her. "What's the matter? You ain't had a little Southern Comfort 'fore?"

Truth was… she'd likely tried it at some point, but she couldn't remember ever drinking it straight, let alone right from the bottle. But she wasn't about to let him think she was a scared little mouse. She knew what people thought of her. They thought she was weak… and needed protecting - they likely believed she was a liability. They would learn everything she was capable of one day. Let's start right now, she thought. Carol grabbed the bottle, lifted it to her lips and took a long drink. Probably more than she should have, but it was too late.

She swallowed and handed him back the bottle, refusing to show how deeply she was feeling the fiery burn of the liquor. It tasked like whiskey with a little sweetness… peach perhaps. When she looked at his face she saw him smirking. "What?" she asked, moving a hand back to secure her towel.

"Didn't expect that, is all," he shrugged. There was a moment of silence and Carol realized he was checking her out again. There was a stirring low in her belly that she hadn't felt in years. Why was she getting so turned on simply from his gaze? "You're full of surprises, ain't ya?" Daryl added, snapping her out of her thoughts. His voice had changed. He sounded intrigued and his tone didn't have the usual snarl to it.

Carol licked her lips before replying, "Nothing I do is surprising if you take the time to get to know me."

Daryl took a step forward. "That an invitation?" Oh fuck, what have I done? Carol thought. He was in her space… with that handsome face. An invitation? What was he asking? Did he want to have sex with her? Or was he actually talking about getting to know her? She usually didn't have trouble reading people, but Daryl Dixon and her raging hormones had her off her game - completely. "You're really pretty," he said. "I never noticed before." It was likely supposed to be a drunk complement so she took it that way instead of taking offence to the second part.

"You're not so bad yourself," she replied. Jesus… what the hell? Her mind screamed. This was not the time to be flirting with Daryl… unless… unless she wanted what he very well could be offering. No, no, no… Ed had died only a few days earlier… the world was falling apart… this wasn't the time to fuck some guy she barely knew… or was it? They could all be dead the next day…

His face was mere inches away… his lips were so close, calling out to her. Daryl didn't move, other than a slight sway to remind her just how drunk he was. Her eyes were focussed on his mouth and before she could stop herself Carol closed the gap and pressed her lips to his. The feel of another person's skin touching hers in this intimate act was dizzying. It was just a peck - nothing more… but it left her body tingling from head to toe.

She pulled back and looked at him, a mixture of lust and surprise in her eyes. Carol certainly wasn't timid - even though most assumed she was. But she also hadn't been forward with anyone like that in a very long time. She'd been a married woman - tied to a jealous and abusive man. She could barely look at another guy without risking confrontation. But Ed was gone and she was free to do whatever she wanted to do. So when Daryl leaned in this time - she didn't stop him. When he kissed her - she didn't stop him. When he circled his free arm around her body and pulled her closer - she didn't stop him.

It felt so good to be wanted in that way and to want a man the way she did right then. As they kissed his hand wandered lower and squeezed her ass through the towel. Part of her wanted to feel him touch her bare skin, but the fire that was burning inside her was already raging.

She felt his tongue brush her lips and opened her mouth slightly. When their tongues met Daryl groaned into her mouth and Carol heard a sigh escape her own throat. Fuck, he was a really good kisser… She couldn't help but wonder what else he was good at? Carol slid a hand up his chest to stroke his jaw. His face was stubbly against her fingertips but she liked the way it felt. That light stubble would feel so good brushing the inside of her thighs she decided, as another wave of heat rushed through her body.

Daryl took the kiss deeper and she could taste the liquor on him. It made her crave him even more and she also, strangely, wanted another drink of the awful liquid. It wasn't until the towel started to slip that Carol was brought out of her trance. She grabbed for it and broke the kiss, causing him to stumble and splash a little of the Southern Comfort onto her. He somehow caught his balance just before she grabbed his arm to help steady him. It reminded her once again just how drunk he was. She couldn't take things any farther with him so wasted - it wasn't right. There was a pretty damn good chance that Daryl wasn't even going to remember a thing in the morning.

Carol reached out and took the bottle from him. "You should go to bed," she said softly.

"Heyyyy," he slurred. "Give me that."

"I think you've had enough," Carol said. "Don't you think so?" she added, hoping he would go along with her.

Daryl yawned. "I am kinda sleepy."

"Good. Go to bed now, okay?" she started to guide him towards the door.

"Okay… you wanna come to my room?" he asked, followed by a little giggle.

"Maybe another time," she replied. If he only knew how much truth there was to that statement.

"Hey… Carol… you got a nice ass," he mumbled sleepily as she watched him wander down the hall to his room.

"Good night Daryl," she said softly, waiting to make sure he went in his room before heading back into the bathroom. She looked at the bottle in her hand and took another sip before setting it down to get herself dressed. She took the bottle back to her room and set it on the dresser. Between the euphoria of the booze and the memories swirling in her mind Carol was sure she wasn't going to sleep but she was out in a matter of minutes.

The next morning before Sophia woke and before she heard any of the others stirring she picked up the bottle of Southern Comfort and knocked on Daryl's door. She heard a ruckus inside and a lot of groaning before he finally appeared at the door looking like crap. "I think this is yours," she said, holding out the bottle.

"How did… how'd ya get that?" he looked completely confused.

"Found it in the bathroom," she lied.

"The bathroom… huh…" Daryl still looked confused, but she was sure she caught the hint of something in his eye before she walked away. She was pretty sure he didn't remember much and it was likely he never would believe what had happened between them even if he did start to have flashes.

But maybe… maybe someday she would tell him about their first kiss…


End file.
